


Paralyzed Futures

by KitaroBoi



Category: Love Live! Sunshine!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Gen, Love Live! Sunshine!! Season 2 Spoilers, Medical Inaccuracies, Mental Instability, Permanent Injury, Self-Hatred, Self-Worth Issues, What-if Scenario
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-18
Updated: 2020-06-25
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:46:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,817
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24786415
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KitaroBoi/pseuds/KitaroBoi
Summary: Their hearts were set alight by the passion of the fans around them, as they danced on stage, hoping for a miracle. Their hopes were with the fans and their leader, Takami Chika, as she was about to attempt the stunt that would skyrocket Aqours into their future. But then, the glass floor Aqours skidded on shattered as their last light slipped and fell... sending Aqours falling into the abyss with her.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 16





	1. Chapter 1: A World Shattered

**Author's Note:**

> Just in general, this'll be one massive ball of depression until it reaches a certain point where it starts to lead toward a happy ending so please bear with the suffering, it'll get better, I promise. 
> 
> General Speech Notes specifically for Mari due to her English speaking tendencies is to signify when she's saying something in English by:  
> "[word]"  
> Hopefully this helps visualize her speech pattern a bit better!
> 
> Edit: Upon writing Ch2 I noticed that there was a pretty major continuity error I had made! So I went ahead and fixed it for the sake of it lining up better!

The sounds of the morning birds chirping filled the soundscape of the quiet town of Uranohoshi. To the normal ear it felt like nothing had changed, it was the same old sounds of the same old town that everyone there had grown accustomed to. However for 9 girls everything had changed, including the sounds that filled their ears. For one girl in particular, Sakurauchi Riko, this change was the most immediately apparent. She woke up to the quiet sounds of the morning yet, something was missing. Something she had grown all too accustomed to over her time here. She gets ready for school and eats breakfast before heading out. However, when she does, she turns and stares at the house next door.

The house had gone silent after the accident, no sound to be heard of outside of the occasional leaving and entering of the residency. No sounds of laughter. No sounds of frustration. No sounds of a sister yelling at her sister. Just a quiet... haunting silence. Riko was surrounded by this silence as she woke up every morning, missing the loud and cheerful voice of her friend.

Aqours, as they knew it, had fallen. As the glass floor they walked on for so long finally shattered, and their hopes of a miracle falling with them, Aqours was met with an uncertain future. A future filled with grief, regret and most of all... silence as their name would be lost to time and their goal, never to be achieved. They would no longer be able to save Uranohoshi High falling into obscurity, instead their fate has put them clinging onto another miracle: Takami Chika.

The leader of Aqours and the center of the stage for their new song “MIRACLE WAVE,” she acted as the shining light of the group, leading them to cling onto the miracle that their school could be saved. However, that light soon vanished at the Love Live Qualifiers that took place two days ago... when Chika went to perform a back handspring, slipped and cracked her neck. The venue was engulfed with a sudden silence as the cries of the Aqours members were the only things that resounded in the stadium. Confused, dazed and scared, Aqours’s world shattered that day as Chika was carried to the ambulance by the medical staff.

Riko sighed as the cool autumn wind dried a trickling tear as she walked forward towards an uncertain future: a future in which Aqours would need to be the light for the person who gave them a chance to shine in the first place. A future... where Aqours has to save Takami Chika.

…

A hospital room. Painted in the thin light that made it through the window, with the only thing breaking the silence being the sound of a heartbeat monitor. Sitting next to the hospital bed was a girl, You Watanabe, staring aimlessly forward next to her unconscious friend. The constant beat of the heart rate monitor was maddening, pounding at You’s ears as she sat there, constantly being reminded of her inability to help her friend. Each beat like a voice telling her how useless she was that day.

The accident hadn’t left her eyes since it happened, constantly ringing in her head, the sounds of the cheers, the sounds of the fall, and sound of the silence afterwards. All there was silence as the energy of the stadium shattered and only shock remained in its place. You was there, helpless and unable to help; encapsulated by the surprise that held her down to the spot she stood. As her closest friend got carried off, all that remained in You’s mind was an overwhelming sense of helplessness as she fell to her knees and silently began to cry.

She got home, and didn’t even give herself time to get cleaned up before collapsing on the floor and sobbing herself to sleep. Her dreams that night were consumed by the accident, replaying constantly, engraving it into her mind. Waking up, she looked around, disoriented. There was a stain on the floor where her head had rested, damp from tears. Her clothes were disheveled and soaked with sweat. Her hair was a mess and her eyes, red from tears. You looked at herself in the mirror for what felt like an eternity, staring at what she thought was a monster-- a girl who couldn’t even help her best friend in her time of need, instead merely standing there, frozen in shock.

With these bitter feelings lodged in her heart she got cleaned up and ready... starting a new life without her friend running up to her with her bubbly smile and shine that lit up her world. Now she was there, sitting in a hospital room, the feelings of emptiness from that morning far from faded. She had to leave soon for school, but she also didn’t want to leave Chika’s side. While staying there was a constant reminder of her failure... it was also her hope, her light. If Chika was still alive, there was still a light for You, even if only a faint one.

The buzz of her phone broke her trance-like state, it was a call from Riko, You got up and started to head out of the room, glancing back at Chika one more time before taking the phone and walking away.

“Hello?”

“ _Good morning, You-chan. You weren’t where we normally met up heading to school, is everything alright?_ ” Riko’s voice came out through the phone, while she was generally cheerful-sounding, there was a hint of concern in her voice.

“Y-Yeah... everything’s fine, I was just visiting Chika before heading off to school.” You said coldly, devoid of any real joy in her tone, not really wanting to hold a conversation.

“ _Oh I see... well then, I’ll see you there!_ ”

“Yeah.” You then hung up the phone and let out a sigh that was neither of relief or sadness, a sigh of apathy. She had begun to start feeling numb, holding back her emotions as to not break and sob right then and there. She walked out of the hospital, ready to mindlessly live through the day in a daze.

…

Evening comes as You left school and starts walking aimlessly. It was just one foot in front of the other, a constant movement that never ended, as she just stared off into space. That was until she experienced a sudden tug as she fell, getting dragged on her butt with a familiar voice yelling behind her.

“You-chan what are you thinking!? You can’t just walk out into the [street] like that, it’s almost like writing your own death sentence!” said a voice with a strange accent to it, You would’ve recognized the aloof voice anywhere.

“...Mari-chan?”

“[Yes]! Now would you care to explain to me why you were just about to wonder out into the middle of the road?” she said, her face hosting a great deal of worry.

“I...I spaced out...” You said, still trying to gain her bearings.

“Jeez, you seriously aren’t acting like yourself...” Mari said, a tinge of sadness leaked through her otherwise aloof composure, “Do you want to talk about it? We can always talk over [tea].”

“...Sure,” You said, standing up and wiping off her backside.

“Well then, let’s head to my place.”

The way there was quiet, neither of them really saying much outside of passing comments. They arrived at the Ohara Residence and headed to a room. Mari pours some green tea for her and You before letting her hair down and relaxing on the couch.

“So... you seem to be taking this pretty well,” You says, trying to start the conversation.

“[Oh no], I’m taking it no better than anyone else... I’m just better at hiding it,” Mari says, her tone emanating a genuine sadness that You had never heard from her before, “Chika-chi meant a lot to me... she was just so [shiny]... I guess you could put it that way. She gave me a chance to have freedom I’d never have otherwise, being a school idol and such. I couldn’t imagine what it’d be like for you, being her closest friend.”

“Yeah...”

“It wasn’t anyone’s fault, You,” Mari says suddenly. You held her breath for a minute, since she hadn’t even begun talking.

“H-Huh?”

“You’re wearing it all over your face, you look [guilty].”

“A-Ah... it’s just... I wish I could have done something... instead I just stood there... useless.” You said, her voice choking up more as she talked.

“We all were, no one could have helped by the time it happened,” Mari replied, her aloofness faded away, replacing it with a more stern, motherly tone.

“Yeah but if I would have just told her to sto--”

“And what would that do to Chika-chi’s confidence? You know as well as I do that would be detrimental to her. There was no helping it, every stunt comes with its risks, this was one of them... you have to forgive yourself,” Mari said, staring at You with a serious, yet kind, gaze. Her amber eyes were glistening with the start of tears.

“I will when Chika-chan’s awake and well,” You said coldly, almost as if Mari’s words didn’t resonate with her at all.

“I’m warning you, Chika-chi wi--” the sound of a metal song rang through the room suddenly, it was Mari’s ringtone. She picks up the phone and answers it. The call was quick, but any semblance of relaxation was wiped from Mari’s face afterward as she goes pale, “We have to go, now.”

“W-What? Why?” You asked, off-put by Mari’s sudden change in composure.

“Chika-chi’s s waking up, we need to get a hold of the others, quickly,” Mari said. You froze, both excitement and fear filled her heart as this news sunk in. While the fact she was waking up was a good thing You couldn’t help but wonder why Mari seemed so panicked now.

“I’ll call Riko and Yoshiko. I’ll stop by Hanamaru’s place on the way there,” You said, already pulling out her phone as they walked out of the room.

“[No], come with me, I have a ride. It’ll be faster just to pick everyone up,” Mari said, her face with a grave look painted all over it.

“Alright, let’s go.”

With that, they both rush out of the Ohara Residence to pick up the rest of Aqours, their future uncertain as their friend awakens from her sleep. While shattered and discarded, Aqours looked to the storm ahead and marched on, ready to carry each other through it, and emerge stronger on the other side.


	2. Chapter 2: Fragmented Fantasies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the hospital room of Takami Chika shortly after the accident, Aqours is still learning to face their new reality. Chika lies there, comatose in her bed, the only consistent noise being the beep of her heart-rate monitor. She dreams of a future, a future where Aqours is successful... unaware of the cruel reality that awaits her when she awakens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note:  
> Hey all, this chapter is considerably shorter than the last one specifically because it's a dream sequence and I didn't really want it to overstay it's welcome plus it took considerably more time to write this one since it took me a while to find something I was satisfied with!  
> Also: Fair warning there is some mild Season 2 spoilers in here, you've been warned.  
> I hope you all enjoyed this chapter it was an interesting one to write for, albeit rough on my heart at times. Peace! <3 
> 
> Mari's Speech Pattern:  
> [word] = English

_I was on stage that day... my heart lit up by the passion of the fans cheering us on. No matter how many times I went on stage_ _,_ _the feeling was intoxicating._ _Although_ _I was nothing special for that brief moment while I was on stage I could be; shining next to those I loved, trying to reach a goal none of us could reach alone. While on-stage I didn’t feel like the ‘normal monster’ I always referred to myself as._ _I felt like I could shine as bright as the others around me... like I could be something special._

_On the stage of the Love Live qualifiers, I bore the burden of all of Aqours, our future resting solely in my hands... I couldn’t let them down... not this time. I had been practicing for this stunt for so long, a stunt Kanan-chan had said would guarantee Aqours’ future. Despite the numerous failures I kept pushing... pushing... pushing... then I made it one day. Despite this fact, my heart still clenched as I began the stunt. I made it through the first flip fine... but my life flashed before my eyes in a brief moment of panic. My hands were coated in a thin layer of sweat and I almost slipped. I stuck the landing in the end and the cheers from the audience filled my head, their passion resonating with my very soul... it almost felt like a dream._

_Afterwards the girls and I just laughed and talked, celebrating our success. It all felt oddly surreal to me... it was by far the most challenging thing I’ve done as part of Aqours... to think that I just did something like that... made me elated. I went home and slept soundly that night, even waking up a bit groggily the next morning. I rolled out of bed and stood up... I felt a bit light in the head as my world blurred around me for a moment. My head started throbbing as the sound of a heartbeat monitor filled my mind. I fall to the floor, holding my head in pain... trying to tune the noise out._

_“...’t worry, I’ll cov... expense--”_

_I hear a voice through the pounding noise... the voice was odd... the accent sounded familiar... Mari...chan? Why was I hearing her voice...? Cov... covering expenses? The pain in my head got worse the more I thought about it. The noise suddenly stopped when Riko-chan called me from the other window, wondering if I was okay._

_“Y-Yeah! I’m fine, I just got a bit dizzy is all! Tehehe~” I replied to her before getting myself cleaned up and heading out for the day. The following weeks flew by like a blur and before I knew it, it was Christmas time and we were performing alongside in a Christmas performance... I couldn’t bring myself to remember the details of how I got there, but I didn’t question it either. Come New Years morning and I went to train with the girls. We were jogging and I started to feel lightheaded again, the sound of the heartbeat monitor pounding at my head again. I fell to the ground in pain... my head screaming in pain and my body going numb..._

_What was happening!? I couldn’t move my legs... my heart was pounding at 1000 miles a minute as the world flashed in and out of my vision. A small voice was distinguishable through the pounding noise, “--isting Chik--ading of--” It was You-chan’s voice... visiting me...? What...? Just then, I noticed something... the ground... it had no texture, it felt like glass... smooth, polished and fragile._

_“Is this world a--”_

_“Dream? Yes.” answered a voice that sounded like Riko’s but was devoid of any and all emotion._

_“In reality, Chika... you failed Aqours at the qualifiers, you’re in the hospital right now, comatose.” said a cold, lifeless You._

_“...failed?”_

_“[Yes], failed. You slipped and broke your neck on the second part of your stunt. Shattering Aqours’ world, and your own,” said Mari, her normal empathetic gaze, wiped clean._

_“You failed us, Chika. You couldn’t be anymore than what you were,” said Dia, her cold stern tone replaced with something more angry._

_“You ruined our chance, zura.”_

_“You brought us back down to Zero, there is no chance anymore to rise, Aqours wings have been stripped, and it’s because of you.” said Yoshiko-chan, devoid of any passion in her words._

_“You really are a normal monster...” said Ruby, her face covered in silent tears and a dead gaze._

_“After all I did to try to help you... you still had to mess it up, huh?” said Kanan, the disappointment in her gaze pierced through my heart._

_“Aqours is dead ,Chika, it’s over.” said all of them in unison as they began to fade into the rest of the world._

_“No... No no no NO NO!!!” I screamed as I slammed my fist on the ground. Shortly after I heard a cracking noise and everything began to fall apart. The world began to collapse in on itself as I just sat there, sobbing, the words of my friends echoing in my head. The ground finally fell from under me as I fell into a black abyss, my gaze fixated on the ever decreasing spotlight from above. I hit the ground-- and open my eyes... my surroundings suddenly changed from where I was. It was a hospital room, the quiet beeping of a heart rate monitor pulsed in my ears. My vision was blurry from what I could assume were tears. I look around, and all my friends were there, looking worriedly at me._

_Their faces reminded me of the words I heard just moments ago... my heart pounding from the fear of what they thought. I try to move a bit but that’s when I realized-- I couldn’t. My lower body wouldn’t move no matter how hard I tried... I was stuck staring at the faces of my inner demons._

“...and so I really am a monster.” _I mumble as a silent tear runs down my cheek and a scream fills the room. My scream, a scream of sorrow... pain... and most of all, hatred. I, Takami Chika, am the monster that ruined Aqours._


End file.
